African Health Initiative

The African Health Initiative (AHI) seeks to catalyze significant advances in strengthening health systems by supporting partnerships that will design, implement and evaluate large-scale models of care that link implementation research and workforce training directly to the delivery of integrated primary healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa. As DDCF approached its 10th anniversary, the foundation's board challenged the staff to identify a compelling and urgent need that fit the mandate of Doris Duke's will, and for which a well-timed and large infusion of the foundation's resources (above and beyond its normal grant-making activities) had the potential to make a significant positive impact on society. Seeing the board's challenge as an opportunity to build upon and expand beyond the foundation's previous support for AIDS research in Africa, the Medical Research Program sought to identify opportunities for DDCF to help address health disparities in Africa more broadly. Extensive research and interviews with dozens of experts revealed that despite the recent growth of health investments in Africa, efforts to improve access to essential medical care remain seriously hindered by fragile health systems, health worker shortages and a lack of focus on integrated care. In response to these challenges, DDCF launched the multi-million dollar African Health Initiative in the fall of 2007. In 2009, DDCF gave four grants ranging from $8 million to $15 million each to support five Population Health Implementation and Training (PHIT) partnerships working in Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia. All PHIT projects, which were funded over five to seven years, remain in progress. The African Health Initiative does not accept unsolicited requests for funding. - See more at: African Health Initiative